Amy Klobuchar: “I rise today to talk about a critical issue that I think the Pope's arrival today in Washington really highlights, and I…”

“I rise today to talk about a critical issue that I think the Pope's arrival today in Washington really highlights, and I am hopeful we will be addressing it in this Chamber. I wanted to join Senator Whitehouse yesterday. He has been an unwavering voice on the need for Congress to take legislative action to address climate change. He hit a milestone in May of this year by giving his 100th speech on the floor calling on his colleagues to act on climate change. He has also brought together a group of Senators to form a climate action task force, and I am proud to be a member of the group. I believe we need a strong energy agenda for America, one that recognizes the challenges of climate change and that empowers people to be part of the solution. The Pope has called climate change ``one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day.'' He has gained international attention for his commitment to protecting our world and serving those in need. Thursday, when we have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear from the Pope as he addresses Congress, I anticipate he will call on all Americans to come together to tackle many challenges, but among them is climate change. During my time in the Senate, we have made some progress on this issue. In 2008 we took action to raise gas mileage standards for cars for the first time in decades.…”